The Crazy Side of Orthodoxy has been reviewed!

 Greetings all --

Just a quick post (at the moment) to let you all know that an editor at Greek Orthodox Christians for Truth and Reform has reviewed my book The Crazy Side of Orthodoxy. 

This was a complete unsolicited review and really does illustrate the power of word of mouth recommendation in the publishing world. So I want to thank the editor for reviewing my book, and all the people at Greek Orthodox for Truth and Reform for posting the review on there website.

Oh yeah, and one more thing -- obviously the people at GoTruthReform "get" the book -- unlike so many people who once flocked to this blog insisting that Orthodox traditionalists do not exist. Funny, for a movement that isn't supposed to exist, there are an awful lot of people out there (other than myself) who think they do.

My article now up on Go Truth Reform

just a quick note: my article, Scott Nevins: a voice crying in the wilderness has been published by the Chicago based website, Greek Orthodox Christians for Truth and Reform.

With two Ephraimite "watchdog" organizations, in two completely different parts of the country, will people finally begin to admit that there is a problem with Orthodox fundamentalism? Or will they continue to shrug it off as a non-existent problem? I suppose only time will tell.

George R.R. Martin -- write like the wind

I realize that not everyone is going to "get" this video. I'm sure that list of people who read my blog for religious and or political issues, AND who are readers of epic fantasy may not be very high; however, this video is way too good to pass up.

For those unfamiliar, George R.R. Martin is the author of the "Song of Ice and Fire" series of novels: the first being A Game of Thrones. Yes, the same Game of Thrones that HBO has turned into a hit epic cable series. Now, A Game of Thrones was first published in 1996. It is now the year 2012 and it was only last year when book 5 (A Dance with Dragons) came out. As of the moment, Martin plans on the series being 7 books. But it originally began as a Trilogy. The in joke (some fans would say torturous joke) is that Martin takes FOREVER to write the next book. So, with that said, here is a YouTube video of a song encouraging Martin to finish his series. Non-readers of the series might not get all of the in-jokes, but for those of us who do read the series (or are waiting for the series to finish before continuing) it is downright hilarious.

So please, George R.R. Martin, Write Like the Wind.

Scott Nevins, a Voice Crying in the Wilderness

One of the reasons that I have not been blogging in recent weeks, and months is because I have been reflecting upon some of the serious issues that have taken my Church hostage. One of those issues is -- as my book The Crazy Side of Orthodoxy points out -- the rise of a subset of Orthodox Christians known as "traditionalists." Now, traditionalists do not like that term. They claim that there is not such thing as Orthodox traditionalists. So from this moment forward, I will no longer use the term which these non-existent traditionalists find so offensive. From now on I will just call them what they actually are: fundamentalists.

Yes I know, there is "no such thing." Well, I -- and thousands of other Orthodox Christians -- disagree.

The sad thing is that among fundamentalists, there are unique subsets and disputing factions. One of the most dangerous of which are the Ephraimites. Up until now, I have not written much about Ephraimites -- well, that is about to change.

Right off the bat, let me say that like ANY religious faction, not all adherents of any one worldview are all bad. Some people, who might consider themselves supporters of the twenty some Greek Orthodox monasteries run by Athonite monk, Elder Ephraim, are good people. In fact, Elder Ephraim may be a good person. I have no idea. I have been told that he is. And I have been told that he is a con man. I don't know which is true. What I do know is that his monasteries are extremely controversial -- for all of the wrong reasons.

Many of the abbots and monks/nuns in these monasteries offer "spiritual advice" to Christians which include harsh penances, the teaching of the gnostic doctrine of toll houses (an ancient belief which says demons can prevent dead Christians from reaching heaven after death), and advocating that married couple abstain from sexual relations -- because sex is sinful.

Now, there is much more to the Ephraimite movement than that. But that is a very brief introduction for my non-Orthodox readers.

One of the other controversial things that recently happened at one of these Ephraimite monasteries was the death of a young man, named Scott Nevins. Nevins was a convert to Orthodoxy, and six years ago joined St. Anthony's Monastery in Florence Arizona. But, fifteen months ago he fled the monastery in the middle of the night, and spent the better part of a year revealing many of the cult like practices and teachings that he experienced during his time in the monastery.

Sadly, in June 11, 2012, Scott Nevins died by a self inflicted gunshot wound, near the grounds of his former monastery. There is much controversy involved and the details remain very sketchy. In fact, the Greek Orthodox Archdioceses has still not addressed Nevins' death, nor acknowledged it in any way.

If you would like to read more about this, the Orthodox organization, We Are Orthodox has just published a piece I have written titled Scott Nevins, a Voice Crying in the Wilderness.

If my non-Orthodox readers would like to get more information about Orthodox fundamentalist, and the Ephraimite movement in particular, you can check out the links page of the  Greek Orthodox Christians for Truth and Reform website. Or you can check out The Rick A. Ross Institute's page on Elder Ephraim.
 Rick Ross is a leading expert in cults, helps people escape from cults and has documented the cult-like practices of the Ephraimite Monasteries. 

That's all for now,

take care, and blessings to all

Breaking the first commandment of the blogging gods!

By now, I'm sure I've lost most of my regular readers because, well, I haven't been blogging (even though I said I would.) There are numerous reasons for this -- some of them good, some of them not so good. One of the reasons is because I've been listening way too much to those who proclaim that the first commandment of blogging is that your blog must be about one particular topic. And since I cannot determine what I want my blog to be about, I do not blog.

I suppose the best option would be for me to create multiple blogs, and who knows, I may do just that. But is this really a rule that bloggers must ascribe to? If so, why? Does it not pigeonhole people into "groups" which bloggers are trying to reach? Why can't bloggers just reach people?

If I write something about politics, does that mean I am forever a political blogger? If I write about religion, does that mean from that time forth, I must always write about religion? If so, which religion? I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian -- does that mean I always have to blog about Eastern Orthodoxy? Many people blog about Eastern Orthodoxy, and they have successful blogs, but why do I have to conform to their particular blogging structure?

Supposedly, the experts say bloggers must "focus" and pin point our "market," as if people's interests were limited to nothing but religion or politics.

On the other hand, maybe my previous posts have been too broad. After all, I do not have a "successful" blog. I do not have hundreds, let alone thousands of followers. I do get lots of people sending me hate mail -- although this has slowed down in recent months, I guess all the "true Christians" got tired of coming here -- but that hardly makes me a successful blogger? So what am I to do? Should I "conform" to the "rules" which the blogging gods have set forth from on high? Maybe. On the other hand, maybe I won't. Whatever I do, I will try and blog more often, whether anyone reads my blog or not. Why? Because I am a writer and writing is what I do.

Massive Flooding Hits Duluth Minnesota

On June 19 and 20, the city of Duluth MN. received over 10 inches of rain in less than 36 hours. Yes, for those who don't know, that is a lot of rain. Streets are flooded -- some streets are simply missing -- businesses are closed, and the rivers have still not crested. Bridges are washed out, sewer overflow fills the streets, sinkholes the size of houses swallowed up automobiles, and all this warrants ten seconds on the ABC's World News Tonight.

What is it about Duluth MN that makes its 100 year flood disaster less special than a hot day in New York City in the summer? Guess what, it's New York City and it's summer -- it's going to be hot. What is unusual is 10 inches of rain and people canoeing down the STREETS of Duluth MN. Yes, canoeing is a north woods pass time, but most of our canoeing is done on lakes and rivers, not down the streets.

I get it. Duluth MN is "way up north" and most people think anywhere north of Chicago is somewhere off the face of the earth, but come on. 10 inches of rain in a day and half?

The moment someone sneezes in Dallas, or a drop of rain falls in St. Louis brings out news reporters from all directions. But Duluth is washed away like Pharoah crossing the Red Sea and it's "Oh by the way, there are floods in Duluth, now onto something important -- like the Royal Family"?

Yeah, the news media really has their priorities in order, don't they? Next they'll be reporting about how a comedian called the GOP apes while ignoring the fact that a major GOP members claims to have evidence that 80 Democratic members of Congress are Communists. Oh, right. Oops!

Vatican Shocker! Pope Betrayed!

Beginning in January of this year, a mysterious figure leaked "secret" Vatican documents along with personal letters to Italian news agencies. These documents reportedly contain vital information that exposes corruption within the Vatican and in particular the Vatican bank.  According to the New York Times, the documents also "included letters by an archbishop who was transferred to Washington after reporting what he saw as a web of corruption and cronyism, a memo that put a number of cardinals in a bad light and documents suggesting that there were internal conflicts about the Vatican Bank."

 Who was to blame for leaking these documents? Who was betraying the institution of the Church and the nation of Vatican City by shedding light on corruption? Who could be so callous and "un-Christian" as to think Vatican City and the Vatican bank should be held to financial accountability? Well this week we finally know whodunit -- the Pope's butler. That is right; the man who would dare to expose corruption was the butler. 

The Pope is said to be deeply "pained" by this act of betrayal and rightly so. I mean, the Pope's most trusted butler has done something unthinkable -- gone public.  I mean, the butler should have known better. It is much better to sweep problems under the rug than to expose them to the light of day. After all, what people don't know won't hurt them -- right? Who doesn't know this?  Apparently, the butler doesn't because he just had to stick his nose where it didn't belong. Why couldn't he be content to wait on the Pope hand in foot? Why couldn't he be content to fetch coffee for the Pope?

Wait a minute --  the itinerant preacher from Nazareth "has nowhere to lay His head" (Luke 9:58, NASB)  but his Vicar on earth has a butler? What's wrong with this picture?